Qualifying Report & Results 2025 Sao Paulo F1 Sprint

Event: São Paulo Grand Prix
Track: Autodromo Interlagos

Weather: dry 18°C
Tarmac: dry 34°C
Humidity: 77%
Wind: 6.4 km/h South-East
Pressure: 920 mbar

Lando Norris secured his first Formula 1 Sprint pole position of the 2025 season during Sprint Qualifying for the São Paulo Grand Prix. The McLaren driver set a 1:09.243 to beat Kimi Antonelli by just 0.097 seconds, with championship rival Oscar Piastri third, 0.185 seconds behind. Norris' lap was 0.344 seconds slower than Piastri's pole-winning 1:08.899 from the 2024 São Paulo Sprint Qualifying session.

Norris Beats Antonelli to São Paulo Sprint Pole

Lando Norris during practice for the 2025 São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Lando Norris tightened his grip on the Formula 1 championship battle by securing pole position for the 2025 São Paulo Grand Prix Sprint, beating Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli by just 0.097 seconds in a fiercely contested qualifying session at Interlagos.

The McLaren driver produced a 1:09.243 on his final SQ3 attempt, improving just enough to deny Antonelli a surprise Sprint pole. Oscar Piastri qualified third, leaving the championship rivals separated by one grid position but with the Italian Mercedes driver between them.

George Russell completed a strong afternoon for Mercedes in fourth, while Fernando Alonso impressed with fifth for Aston Martin. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, could manage only sixth after struggling with the balance of his Red Bull RB21.

For Norris, who arrived in Brazil holding a slender one-point championship advantage over Piastri, it was precisely the result he needed. But with both McLaren drivers looking competitive and unpredictable weather threatening Saturday's Sprint, the fight remained wide open.

SQ1: Norris Sets the Pace as Sainz Finishes Last

The opening 12-minute segment began in dry conditions, with all 20 drivers required to use Pirelli's medium compound.

Having already topped the weekend's only free practice session by 0.023 seconds over Piastri, Norris immediately looked comfortable around Interlagos. His McLaren responded well as grip levels improved, allowing him to establish an early benchmark.

Piastri was also competitive, while Verstappen briefly threatened the McLaren pair as the timing screens changed rapidly.

Further back, the situation was considerably more uncomfortable.

Williams struggled throughout the opening segment, with Carlos Sainz locking up heavily into Turn 1 on his final attempt. The Spaniard could not recover the lost time and finished last with a 1:11.120, a disappointing result after his stronger performances in recent races.

Alex Albon also looked vulnerable, although he eventually found enough time to survive SQ1.

Franco Colapinto was the first driver eliminated in 16th, followed by Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda. Esteban Ocon could manage only 19th for Haas, while Sainz completed the bottom five.

Norris finished the segment fastest with a 1:09.627, confirming McLaren's early advantage.

Eliminated in SQ1: Franco Colapinto (16th), Liam Lawson (17th), Yuki Tsunoda (18th), Esteban Ocon (19th) and Carlos Sainz (20th).

SQ2: Alonso Surprises as Ferrari Runs into Trouble

Fernando Alonso produced one of the standout performances of Sprint Qualifying in SQ2, setting a remarkable 1:09.330 to put Aston Martin ahead of the championship contenders.

The Spaniard's lap was 0.043 seconds quicker than Norris, who finished the segment second with a 1:09.373. Russell followed in third, just 0.011 seconds behind the McLaren, with Piastri fourth.

The margins were becoming extraordinarily tight, with less than a tenth separating the leading four drivers.

Ferrari, however, was enduring another difficult afternoon.

Neither Lewis Hamilton nor Charles Leclerc looked particularly comfortable in the SF-25, with both drivers struggling under braking and finding it difficult to build confidence through the slower corners.

As the session entered its final minutes, Hamilton found himself outside the top ten and in desperate need of an improvement.

Then Leclerc spun at Turn 10.

The incident briefly triggered double yellow flags, forcing several drivers to abandon or compromise their final attempts. Hamilton failed to cross the line in time to begin another flying lap, leaving him eliminated in 11th with a 1:09.811.

The seven-time World Champion missed SQ3 by 0.076 seconds, with Nico Hülkenberg securing the final qualifying position for Sauber.

Hamilton was subsequently investigated for passing through the double-yellow sector, and the stewards deleted his affected lap time. His best valid time and 11th-place classification remained unchanged.

Leclerc survived in ninth, but Ferrari's difficulties were becoming increasingly obvious.

Albon qualified 12th, followed by Pierre Gasly, home favourite Gabriel Bortoleto and Oliver Bearman.

Eliminated in SQ2: Lewis Hamilton (11th), Alex Albon (12th), Pierre Gasly (13th), Gabriel Bortoleto (14th) and Oliver Bearman (15th).

SQ3: Norris Delivers When the Pressure Peaks

The final eight-minute session brought the switch to mandatory soft tyres, with ten drivers fighting for Sprint pole.

Norris immediately established himself as the driver to beat, setting a 1:09.271 on his opening flying lap.

Antonelli responded strongly. The Mercedes rookie had looked increasingly comfortable throughout the afternoon and delivered an impressive 1:09.340, putting himself within striking distance of the McLaren.

Russell was also competitive, while Piastri remained firmly in contention despite struggling to match Norris through the decisive parts of the lap.

The final attempts would settle the contest.

Norris returned to the circuit and found another 0.028 seconds, improving to a 1:09.243. It was only a small gain, but with the margins so tight, every thousandth mattered.

Antonelli could not respond, leaving the 19-year-old Italian second, just 0.097 seconds behind.

Piastri finished third with a 1:09.428, 0.185 seconds away from Norris, while Russell secured fourth with a 1:09.495.

Alonso completed the top five just 0.001 seconds behind Russell, an extraordinary margin even by modern Formula 1 standards.

For Norris, it was his first Sprint pole of the season and another important psychological victory over Piastri.

Verstappen Sixth as Red Bull Struggles for Balance

While McLaren and Mercedes fought at the front, Verstappen endured a frustrating session.

The four-time World Champion had shown competitive pace during SQ1 and SQ2, but the Red Bull became increasingly difficult to drive when he switched to the soft tyres for the final shoot-out.

Verstappen managed a 1:09.580, leaving him sixth and 0.337 seconds behind Norris.

His fastest opening sector of 17.742 seconds demonstrated that the RB21 still possessed genuine speed, but the Dutchman could not carry that performance through the remainder of the lap.

McLaren's advantage was particularly apparent through the middle and final sectors, where Norris set the session's fastest times.

Verstappen's sixth place also complicated his championship ambitions. Arriving in Brazil 36 points behind Norris, the Red Bull driver could ill afford to surrender further ground during a weekend offering additional Sprint points.

With overtaking possible at Interlagos, sixth was hardly a disaster, but Red Bull clearly had work to do before Saturday.

Antonelli Shines as Aston Martin Delivers

Antonelli's front-row performance was one of the most impressive results of the session.

The Mercedes rookie finished ahead of Piastri, Russell and Verstappen, underlining his growing confidence in his first Formula 1 season.

Russell's fourth place completed a strong result for Mercedes, which placed both cars inside the top four.

Aston Martin also had reason to celebrate.

Alonso's fifth place followed his outstanding SQ2 performance, while Lance Stroll qualified seventh with a 1:09.671. Both drivers finished ahead of Ferrari's leading car.

Leclerc could manage only eighth with a 1:09.725, while Isack Hadjar qualified ninth for Racing Bulls.

Hülkenberg completed the top ten, giving Sauber another appearance in the final qualifying segment after his encouraging third place in FP1.

For Ferrari, however, the result represented a clear setback. Hamilton's elimination in SQ2 and Leclerc's eighth place left the team facing an uphill battle for Sprint points.

Norris Slower Than Piastri's 2024 Sprint Pole

Although Norris dominated the decisive stages of Sprint Qualifying, his winning lap was slower than the pole position benchmark from the previous year's São Paulo Sprint.

In 2024, Piastri secured Sprint pole for McLaren with a 1:08.899, beating Norris by just 0.029 seconds.

Norris' 2025 lap of 1:09.243 was therefore 0.344 seconds slower than his team-mate's pole-winning effort twelve months earlier.

Changing track conditions, temperatures and tyre behaviour make direct comparisons imperfect, but the figures underline just how closely matched the McLaren drivers have been at Interlagos across successive seasons.

There was another revealing detail in the sector times.

Verstappen recorded the fastest opening sector, but Norris was quickest through both the middle and final sectors. The McLaren's ability to carry speed through Interlagos' technical sections proved decisive in securing pole.

Championship Advantage Moves Towards Norris

Norris arrived in São Paulo leading Piastri by a single point, having reclaimed the championship lead with his victory in Mexico City.

That made Sprint Qualifying particularly significant.

With eight points available to Saturday's Sprint winner, the McLaren drivers had an immediate opportunity to influence the championship standings before Sunday's Grand Prix.

Norris secured the best possible starting position, but Antonelli's presence alongside him adds an unpredictable element to the opening lap.

Piastri will start third, directly behind his team-mate, while Russell and Alonso provide further threats from the second and third rows.

Verstappen, meanwhile, must recover from sixth if he wants to keep his championship challenge moving in the right direction.

The prospect of rain and stronger winds adds another layer of uncertainty. Interlagos has a habit of turning apparently straightforward weekends into strategic headaches, and the weather forecast suggested Saturday could be particularly demanding.

For Norris, Friday could hardly have gone better. He topped FP1, secured Sprint pole and finished ahead of both championship rivals.

But with Antonelli just 0.097 seconds behind and Piastri waiting on the second row, the McLaren driver's advantage remains fragile.

Norris won the first battle at Interlagos. Saturday's Sprint will reveal whether he can turn that narrow advantage into something far more valuable: championship points.

Sprint Qualifying Times 2025 Brazilian GP

Comparison with 2024: Oscar Piastri claimed Sprint pole at the 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix with a 1:08.899 in the McLaren MCL38. Norris' 2025 pole time of 1:09.243 in the McLaren MCL39 was 0.344 seconds slower.

Fastest sector times during Sprint Qualifying:

• Sector 1: 17.742 seconds by Max Verstappen with the Red Bull RB21 #1.
• Sector 2: 35.231 seconds by Lando Norris with the McLaren MCL39 #4.
• Sector 3: 16.050 seconds by Lando Norris with the McLaren MCL39 #4.

✅ Check out our 2025 Brazilian Formula 1 Grand Prix preview.

About the author

Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

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